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Many thanks to the staff of Hosteling International - San Diego for their help in making available the source materials for this Christmas Trip wiki. The opinions expressed in this wiki are not those of HI-SD. Neither the authors of these articles nor HI-SD are to be held legally responsible for any actions taken as a result of what is presented in this wiki. This wiki is purely meant as an informational resource and is not a guarantee of conditions or situations that may arise on a Christmas Trip. What is the Christmas Trip? The HI-USA Christmas Trip is a 6-day cycling adventure around San Diego County. The ride has been held every year since its start in 1955. The ride begins every year on December 26th in San Diego, and after overnights in Pine Valley, Warner Springs, Palm Desert, Hemet and Fallbrook, ends on December 31st, back in San Diego. Total cycling mileage varies between 360 and 400 miles. Terrain varies from city to rural to mountain to desert. The Christmas Trip is Sag Wagon supported, and there are inside locations for sleeping bags, eating, entertainment and such every night. There is also space outside for those who prefer to camp outdoors, so if you want to do this, bring your tent! Breakfast and Dinner during the trip are provided. Lunch is on your own. Cooking and cleanup is also done by the participants, and everyone is expected to take part. The Christmas Trip Wiki is not only a place to read about the history of the Christmas Trip, but also to gain some insight as to what to expect during your week in the San Diego and Riverside County backcountry. __TOC__ Index of Christmas Trips Years in bold have individual trip information. 50's - 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 http://christmastrip.wikia.com/wiki/Christmas_Trips_1955_to_1959 60's - 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69 http://christmastrip.wikia.com/wiki/Christmas_Trips_1960_to_1969 70's - 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 http://christmastrip.wikia.com/wiki/Christmas_Trips_1970_to_1979 80's - 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89 http://christmastrip.wikia.com/wiki/Christmas_Trips_1980_to_1989 90's - 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 http://christmastrip.wikia.com/wiki/Christmas_Trips_1990_to_1999 00's - 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07 http://christmastrip.wikia.com/wiki/Christmas_Trips_2000_to_present Which trip is this? Annual vs. Anniversary Since the ride that is now known as the Christmas Trip began in 1955, and has occurred every year since, simple arithmetic would indicate that in 2007 the ride would be having its 53rd incarnation. However the 2007 trip is referred to as the 51st Annual Christmas Trip. Why is this? In an American Youth Hostels (AYH) newsletter from 1988 there is a note "See you on the 31st Annual AYH Christmas Bike Trip". In the recap of the 1988 Trip, the Trip Leader writes that this was "about the 32nd I think". This was formalized the next year when the 1989 Trip was clearly called the "33rd Annual AYH Christmas Bike Trip", and that chronology was carried forward from that date on. However there is no evidence as yet that the necessary research was done to exactly define the chronology. A possible apocryphal story has it that in 1989 an AYH staffer called Peter Kendal, thinking that he had gone on every Christmas trip, and asked him how many he had gone on. He answered 32, and so the staffer reported that the upcoming trip would be the 33rd. But Mr. Kendal had not gone on the first (1955) or the 1964 trips, meaning that the chronology was off by two. In time (early 2006) Hosteling International-San Diego (the successor organization to the AYH) realized that the 50th ride during the Christmas holidays had already occurred, even though they had just completed the "49th Annual" Ride in 2005. Considering that research showed that the actual first ride was not called the "Christmas" Ride, but the 1956 ride was, the staff of HI-SD considered that the first ride would not count in the numbering scheme. But even with the second Christmas Trip being counted as the 1st Annual, that would still result in the 2006 ride being the 51st Annual. So that the chronology should match the celebration of the "50th", the "Annual" ride in 2006 became the 50th "Anniversary" of the first "Christmas" ride in 1956. However the 2007 ride was called the 51st Annual Christmas Trip, without accounting for the difference between "Annual" and "Anniversary" (the 51st Anniversary would correspond with the 52nd Annual and not the 51st Annual). It is hoped that some year in the future (perhaps with the help of this Wiki), the true number of Christmas Trips will be acknowledged by all parties involved. Trip Leaders Mrs. Alliene Elliott Don Schroeder Christmas Trip Traditions Hot Seat - Usually happens the first night of the Trip. Everyone takes their turn and tells a little about themselves. Where you are from, what you do in real life, how many previous Christmas Trips you've done. Remember this is all in fun and is to break the ice and let everyone know who is on the Trip. The audience may then ask you questions. The most common question is "Do you have a date for New Year's?" This is shorthand for "Are you available?" This is not asked of everyone. Tire Changing Contest - This usually happens on the second night, in the Warner Springs Middle School Cafeteria. Contestants take turns taking off a tire, changing the tube, replacing the tire and putting 10 strokes of air into the tube. The all-time men's champion is Greg Zackowski, who has won the men's division of the contest every year since its inception (?). If you are planning to usurp Greg's title, start practicing, because Greg's record is 47 seconds. One of Greg's tactics is to wait until the end of the contest, by which time the tire has loosened and is more easily removed from the wheel. Ugly Cycling Outfit Contest - Held a few times in the Palm Desert stop on the morning of the fourth day. Although it shows up on the trip notes every year, it really isn't held anymore. Awards Night (now the T-shirt Exchange) - This event has its beginnings with a certain camper in 1986 who managed to get into the Sag Wagon for a portion of each of the first five days of the Trip. This in itself wouldn't be notable, except that he always managed to talk a good game, as if he was in great cycling shape and this Trip wasn't really all that hard. He took a lot of grief about this, and for the last night of the Trip (at the San Clemente AYH Hostel), several of the younger trippers got a white T-shirt, wrote "Captain Sag" on it and presented it to him. They also presented pieces of chocolate broken from a novelty item to several of the other trippers. The top prize went to Pete Penseyres for wearing a heart rate monitor during the trip. Mr. Penseyres was a well-known ultra rider and the other racers thought that the monitor (which was a rarity at that time) was a bit over the top. Giving a few awards to individuals quickly morphed into an Awards Night presentation where everyone received an award of some sort. From cycling-specific "Best female hammer", "King of the Mountains", "Nicest Bike", "Get a New Bike" to less appropriate "Ding-a-Ling Lady", "Most Enamored of His Own Banana", "Mother Hen", etc., these awards were determined by "The Committee", a group of multi-trippers who gathered the funniest anecdotes and twisted them into some type of award. For several years the awards were written out with calligraphy or by computer. But eventually the work to make the Awards funny and appropriate became too much and the Committee passed into history. The present Awards are started by one of the Trip Leaders after the final dinner of the Trip, who starts off the night by giving another tripper some sort of accolade/award/title. Then the named tripper goes up to the front of the room (in a sort of reprise of the Hot Seat) and gives another award to a third tripper, etc., until everyone present has received some recognition for their efforts. After giving an award, the presenter then takes a T-shirt from all the T-shirts that have been collected from the trippers during the trip. Although it is ideal if no tripper is acknowledged twice before everyone else has already taken their turn, a few people do manage multiple appearances for whatever reasons. Stop at Vaughn's Market in Oceanside - Difficult now that the store is closed Christmas Trip Sayings "Save the Cups!" - In past years the AYH supplied cups for use by the trippers for breakfast and dinner. By the early 90's they were buying 200 cups a day, or 1000 for the entire trip. In 199? (when the trip stayed at the Trinity Lutheran church in Hemet) Mrs. Elliott started the slogan "Save the Cups!" to reduce the amount of waste. On the Group Photo morning in Hemet, Tony Olsen dressed in a lime green skinsuit and attached cups all over himself, running infront of the group shouting "Save the Cups!" Several other trippers attacked and subdued the "Cup Monster". Nowadays all trippers are expected to bring their own cup, as well as utensils. "Why do we stop here? - Because we always stop here!" - This is a nod to the multi-trippers and locals who cycle the Trip route enough to know where the best places to fuel up are. When you know that there aren't any good stopping points for the next twenty miles, you tell the other trippers and everyone benefits. Also has the connotation of mindlessly stopping at the same Del Taco in Murrieta on Day 5 even though there are dozens of other places to eat. "Essence" - This is Ralph Elliott's term that sums up the atmosphere, camaraderie, ambience and hard work that goes into each Tripper's memories and signifies the feeling of being on the Christmas Trip. Essence is enhanced by such things as cycling in a raging hailstorm on Mount Laguna, barely staying upright on the I-10 frontage road going into a 30 mph wind, and fording through the stream crossings in De Luz Canyon. Present Christmas Trip Itinerary Day 1 - San Diego to Pine Valley Day 2 - Pine Valley to Warner Springs Day 3 - Warner Springs to Palm Desert Day 4 - Palm Desert to Hemet Day 5 - Hemet to Fallbrook Day 6 - Fallbrook to San Diego Typical Menu Day 1 (PV) - Dinner Spaghetti Day 2 (PV) - Breakfast Pancakes Day 2 (WS) - Dinner Chicken and Rice Day 3 (WS) - Breakfast Day 3 (PD) - Dinner Make your own Burrito Day 4 (PD) - Breakfast Day 4 (H) - Dinner Meat Loaf and Baked Potato Day 5 (H) - Breakfast Scrambled Eggs Day 5 (F) - Dinner Lasagna Day 6 (F) - Breakfast French Toast Salad is available each night for dinner Vegetarian options are always available for dinner Breakfast always has Cereal, Fruit and Oatmeal available Well-known trippers Peter Kendal The Elliotts Pete Penseyres Rob Templin Tony Olsen Locations of stopovers Bad days Some of the days on the Christmas Trip in the last 20 years when the going got pretty tough even for the hardened Tripper. 1987 Day 2 - Left Fallbrook for Julian. Seemed like every single shop was closed, including Dudley's at Santa Isabel. Many trippers bonked on the last five-mile uphill. 1988 Day 2 - Left Campo late because the cleanup wasn't done. Riding conditions to Borrego Springs weren't bad, but most trippers ran out of daylight, and then the trip was split between a church and a Youth Center, you had to find them in the dark, on a moonless night. 1990 Day 4 - Leaving Cathedral City south to Salton City was great, with a tailwinds going south. Then on the right turn to Borrego Springs the tailwind became a headwind. It was a Sunday(?) and everything was closed in Borrego, and then you had to climb Banner Grade to Julian. On the way up it got colder, then it started raining. Once in Julian the trip turned onto Route 79 and went back down, to get to Camp Stevens(?) in the dark, and no street lights. 1992 Day 4 - Palm Desert to Warner Springs (first time staying at the Middle School). You could either go the 100-mile route to Salton City, then Borrego Springs, up Montezuma Grade to Ranchita, then to Warner Springs, and get rained on the latter half of the ride. Or you could take the 60-mile shortcut, climb Seven-Level Hill and get rained on all the way from Anza to Warner Springs. Either way, you got cold soaked. 200? Day 4 - Strongest headwinds anyone could remember once the route left Palm Springs. Mei was blown off her bike several times. 200? Day 1 - Strong Santa Ana winds made the first day into Pine Valley a pretty tough days. At least it was warm! 2005 Day 3 - Constantly rainy, cold and of course windy day from Warner Springs to Palm Desert. Most of the trippers sagged at some point on this 100-mile day. 2005 Day 6 - Leaving Fallbrook under threatening skies and going south into a brisk headwind. It started to drizzle, then it got harder and harder. A very wet and miserable way to end the Christmas Trip! 2007 Day 2 - Started hailing on the way down Mt. Laguna. There was a vicious cross-wind at the same time, and the hail was sticking to the road. Mostly drizzles by the time the riders reached Julian, and all the way to Warner Springs. Note that there aren't any notably bad days on Day 5 (yet). That may change, come join the Trip and find out for yourself! Demographics changes Juniors - In the United States Cycling Federation (USCF), Juniors are from 14 to 17 years or age. For years a group of Juniors (up to 30?) went on the Christmas Trip, led by adult tripper Howard Dorflinger. Many of the unique characters, stories and traditions on the Christmas Trip are a result of the antics of the Juniors. How times change - In 2007, the youngest person on the Trip was 22. Where are they now? Yahoo Group A Yahoo email group was set up by the 2004 Christmas Trip participants. The messages mostly relate to other tours or events that the posters are going on, along with news about the upcoming Christmas Trip. The description of the group on the group homepage http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/hiayhxmasride48/ is as follows: This group was started for participants of the 48th Annual Hostelling International - American Youth Hostels Christmas Bicycle Ride from San Diego to Palm Desert and back! Any past or potential future Christmas Trippers are welcome here. Subscription requires owner approval because of previous spammer activity. As already noted, the "48th Annual" is actually a bit of a misnomer. The 2004 Trip was actually the 50th Trip. Membership is open to any past, present or future trippers. Updates to the Christmas Trip Wiki will also be noted. Please note that you need either to request a subscription to the group (see below), which a moderator then would review, or you will receive an invitation to the group if you have given your email address to the San Diego HI staff while filling out the application form for the Christmas Trip. If you receive an invitation, please just click the "Join this group!" button, no further action on your part is necessary. Some email programs block these type of email messages, so you may not realize that you have been sent an invitiation. In that case you would have to request a subscription, as already described. To subscribe send an email to mailto:hiayhxmasride48-subscribe@yahoogroups.com List of items to take Your bicycle in very good condition! Pump, tires & tubes, patch kit and tire irons - Practice changing tires and adjusting brakes, cables, seats, etc. Water bottles (at least two) Lock for your bike Fanny pack or a small backpack to carry extra jacket, socks, wallet etc. Shorty fenders in case it rains Your Helmet!!! Suggested items (you never know!) - Extra spokes, rear brake and derailleur cables, chain tool, lubricant, 10-12 inches of PVC tape wrapped around something and wire rolled with the tape or spokes for repairs ID and money for lunches and snacks each day, sunglasses, lipbalm Medical information - including your In Case Of Accident info if under 18 years of age. Map and itinerary. If you are not sure of finding your own way you might need maps of San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties. Cell Phone and Trip Leader contact information GORP - Gu or other emergency energy supply Training - It's always a good idea to hit a few hills and do two or three consecutive days of at least 50 miles a day within a week or so before the Christmas Trip Duffle bag or soft suitcase to pack/unpack your stuff every day Spare cycling clothes (in case of rain) and your extra clothes for the evening. It's not generally a good idea to wear the same items every day for six days Bring what you normally wear cycling BUT remember: it may rain, it may snow, it may be hot and it may be windy. It may also be perfectly beautiful! Remember short and long pants, long sleeved shirt and short sleeved shirt Cycling gloves (more than one pair) extra gloves for cold/wet weather Once again - Your Helmet!!! Rain gear Your sleeping bag and air mattress or foam pad Do Not Forget (Because people do!) Jeans - sweater- shirt- jacket - shoes - socks - underwear - towel - toothbrush - toothpaste - comb or brush - soap - sunscreen - swim suit - warmups Because HI-USA does not supply them you MUST BRING utensils for yourself (Camping utensils work fine) and a cup for yourself Extra items you may find necessary - Camera, reading material, cards, yo-yo Weather to expect The bottom line is to expect anything! The Christmas Trip has seen it all. Although the usual day is in the 50's and clear, the Trip has seen Santa Ana winds, drizzle, winter storms, snowy roads, icy roads, you name it. It is advisable to have some sort of bicycle fenders with you. Remember to pack your cold weather cycling clothing along with your rain gear. Cycling conditions/terrain Tripper Record Holders Many of these records are just hearsay at the moment, and since the rosters from all trips are not likely to ever be available, they will likely never be fully verified. Any information from past trips in this regard is welcome. For the purpose of this section, only those who have cycled the entire Christmas Trip (no days off, no sag wagon pickups), can be considered. Youngest Male (Solo) - 14, held by several Juniors, working on getting some names. Youngest Male (Tandem) - Unknown. I remember a boy of 10 from the early 90's but I need more information. Youngest Female (Solo) - Unknown. Youngest I remember is a co-ed who was a junior(?) in college from Boulder, CO who did one trip in the 90's. I would think that the record is something like 17 or 18. Youngest Female (Tandem) - 7, Catrina Holmes (San Francisco area) on the 2003 trip. Catrina also did the 2004 trip on tandem. Oldest Male (Solo) - Possibly Byron (need last name) (San Diego) did several trips in the late 80's. He was in his early 70's, I think. Oldest Male (Tandem) - Unknown Oldest Female (Solo) - Unknown, possibly Mary Allen (San Francisco). In the early 2000's Mary did a trip solo, although I believe that she did not cycle every day, I will have to check with her on this. Oldest Female (Tandem) - 75, Mary Allen (San Francisco) on the 2007 trip. Mary has also done several other trips on tandem, and at least once solo as well. Shortest Christmas Trip - The start of the Christmas Trip for several years was the upper parking lot at USD. On the initial rollout one year, a tripper rode sideways into a concrete curb in the parking lot, fell and was injured (I think he broke his arm), ending his Christmas Trip approximately 10 seconds after getting underway. Longest Christmas Trip - By taking alternate routes, one can easily construct a route of 100 miles or more every day. Rob Templin used the Christmas Trip one year as training for the upcoming RAAM (at which he finished second), and did some horrendous mileage, although I don't have the exact total. Most days in the Sag Wagon - An unknown tripper nicknamed "Captain Sag" (1987) spent parts of each of the first five days in the Sag Wagon. Other trippers have spent considerable time in the Sag due to illness, injury, and severe undertraining. Always getting off to a late start - (Need the name) flies in from Montreal on the day of the trip, and gets going at 11:30 am or so. He has done this since 200?. For some locals it is possible to start off and end the trip in your own driveway, dropping off your bags at the start and picking them up at the end of the Trip. Now that's convenience! Comparative Spreadsheet Cost through the years Number of trippers/year To write a new article, enter the page title in the box below. Category:Browse